Highline College now has the grand entrance it deserves. College Way, located off Pacific Highway and directly across from Kent-Des Moines Station, was officially opened Sept. 18 during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

College Way is a City of Des Moines public street and serves as the new main entrance to campus. Highline’s Campus View Student Housing building is on the northside of the entrance and the roadway features a large roundabout leading into the East Parking Lot.

A large crowd attended the sunny event, which included representatives from Highline College, the City of Des Moines, SoundTransit, and local and state legislators.

Highline College Interim President, Dr. Jamilyn Penn, who spoke at the ribbon-cutting said, “Today marks a significant milestone for our community, with the opening of the College Way entrance. The new access point not only connects us to the Pacific Highway but paves the way for greater connectivity to the upcoming rail system.”

Government dignitaries who attended included Senator Karen Keiser from the 33rd Legislative District, Councilmember John Boyd from the City of Kent and Councilmember Gene Achziger from the City of Des Moines.

“Access to Higher Education can transform lives and so can transit,” said Deputy CEO of SoundTransit Terri Mestas, who also addressed the crowd.

Mestas continued, “We expect thousands of people to ride the Federal Way Link extension everyday, once we open it in the spring of 2026. And of course we expect Highline College and the station to be a major driver of that ridership, providing easy access for students from north to south of the college.”

Another speaker, Mayor Traci Buxton from the City of Des Moines noted that “The College Way connection integrates the college into the nearby planned neighborhoods and the link corridor, bringing people to education and training – and education and training to people.”

As for the Highline College community, Dr. Penn remarked that the College Way entrance is another exciting opportunity in the college’s 63-year history.

Dr. Penn said, “It will connect our college with greater transit options, making it easier for students from all over the region to experience the transformative power of education that Highline College offers.”

As Mayor Buxton, Dr. Penn, Terri Mestas, and Grant Fredricks, retired public works director for Des Moines, cut the ribbon, Highline’s Josh Gerstman, VP of Institutional Advancement, who emceed the event, cheered them on with his tuba. Those in attendance gathered for photos, enjoyed refreshments and were able to witness the first vehicles officially exit campus on College Way.